Tumbling toy



F. J. LAISSUE TUMBLING TOY Sept. 27, 1955 Filed March 29, 1952 VENTOR.

f/ A4 A44 7 244 Mar United States Patent C) TUMBLING TOY Francisco J.Laissue, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Application March 29, 1952, Serial No.279,289

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-134) The object of this invention is to improve andsimplify the construction of tumbling toys in such manner that they maybe constructed very cheaply and be given durability. A specific objectof the invention is to provide a tumbling toy which may be formed ofstock elements which are readily obtainable and assembled with a minimumcost.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment ofthe invention in upright form, the clothing which will cover the bodyand operative parts, with the exception of the hands and feet, havingbeen stripped from the article and not being shown.

Fig. 2 is the side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, placed inseated position and ready for manual action preliminary to its tumblingefiect, the figure being composite, portion B of the figure showing thearticle with its head and body pressed downwardly ready for release, andportion C, by dotted lines, showing the tumbling movement of the figureafter it has been more completely depressed and then released.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation showing the springconnection between one of the arms and the body member.

Referring to the drawings I have shown at 1 a body member which may beof wood or any other suitable material, including plastic. At the top ofthe body members is mounted or molded a head 2.

Nearest the top and also nearest the base the body member is formedthrough its width, with a horizontal aperture; Placed in the tophorizontal aperture is a rod 3 which, in the present embodiment does notextend down to the hand 4, but which is used as a carrier for the arms5. Inasmuch as the arms 5 may be made of wood or other low cost materialsuch an arrangement somewhat lowers the cost over an arrangement inwhich the rod itself is used for the arms, in the sense that theparallel bent sections of the rod extend down to and carry the hands 4.

The lower aperture of the body receives a second bent rod 6, the ends ofwhich carry the legs 7, the latter being connected to the feet 8.

It will be understood that the legs and feet may be molded of plastic,or the bent rod 6 may extend down to and carry the feet 8, the latterbeing separately formed.

As indicated above the tumbling figure will customarily be clothed, asfor example, in an inexpensive clowns costume which will be sufiicientlyfull and loose as to permit free action of the movable elements.

Each arm 5 has fastened thereto, below the pivotal line of the two arms,a coiled spring 9 the opposite end of which is secured to the bodymember. Thus when the body member is moved from the position A to eitherposition B or C, the springs will be placed under tension.

In the operation of the tumbling toy, the latter may be placed in seatedposition, as shown at portion A of Fig. 2, the hands 4 resting upon ahorizontal support. The head, then, may be pressed downwardly by afinger of the hand of an operator until the body reaches the position ofeither portion B or portion C (full lines) of Fig. 2. When the operatorsfinger is released from the head 2, as by a quick withdrawal movement,the toy will spring into the air and will rotate, as for example, in thepath of the dotted line, Fig. 2, and in the direction of the arrows,producing a pleasing tumbling effect which is augmented by the costume(not shown) which will be placed upon the figure in practice.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is as follows:

A tumbling toy consisting of a body member carrying at its top ahead-configuration, the body member being formed with horizontalapertures, one near the top and one near the base thereof, a rod bentinto U-shape extending through the top-most aperture and carrying handmembers, and a second freely movable rod of U-shape extending throughthe base aperture of the body and carrying feet, and a pair of coilsprings having one end connected to the body member and its opposite endconnected to each of the parallel extensions of the firstnamed rod,whereby the figure may be seated with the base positioned U-shaped rodlying horizontally and the hands extending downwardly from the body andin contact with a horizontal support, the body being adapted to rockdownwardly on the base U-shaped rod whilst the hands exert leverage uponthe horizontal support with tensioning of said spring, release of thearticle from said position causing it to have a backward tumbling as andfor the purpose described.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,817,959 Bloxom Aug. 11, 1931 1,937,162 Parrish Nov. 28, 1933 2,498,974Wilbik Feb. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 253,039 Great Britain June 10, 1926

